Surgical belt



March 20, 1934. c. M. JUDD 1,951,937

SURGICAL BELT Filed June 8, 1933 Patented Mar. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in surgical belts and has for its general object to provide a simple convenient and comfortable belt adapted for use after a colostomy operation.

Other and more specific objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the belt in open position; and

Figure 2 is a front elevation or inside view.

Referring more particularly to the drawing B denotes a belt of sufiicient length to encircle the body of the wearer and of ample width to cover considerable area above and below the waist line. The belt consists of two front or end sections 2, 3 of surgical elastic, two rear or inner sections 4, 5 of non-elastic material and a thin rubber protective member 1, the latter being detachably connected at its ends to the front section 2.

The outer marginal end edges of sections 4 and 5 are secured to the inner ends of elastic sections 2 and 3 respectively by rows of stitching 6, and the adjacent inner ends of sections 4 and 5 are reinforced with reinforcing strips 7 of leather or other suitable material, these strips being formed with eyes 8 for the reception of lace 9. A fabric flap 10 secured to the inner face of section 4 serves to protect the wearers back from contact with the eyes and lacing. The outer free ends of elastic sections 2 and 3 are reinforced with tape or strips of non-elastic fabric 11 provided with conventional snap fasteners 12.

The thin rubber protective member 1 previously referred to is reinforced at its opposite ends with non-elastic tape 13 to which male snap fasteners 14 are suitably secured and which cooperate with female snap fasteners 15 attached to the reinforced ends of the elastic webbing section 2. The side edges of rubber protective member 1 are preferably reinforced with elastic tape 16, which reinforces these edges while permitting of the same being stretched longitudinally when the belt is fitted tightly to the body of the wearer. This member 1 completely covers the colostomy opening and adjacent abdominal area, and thus effectively protects the belt from the contaminating and unsanitary effect of the fecal discharge. If desired a layer of absorbent cotton, not shown, may be introduced between the rubber member 1 and the body of the wearer, for the purpose of protecting the colostomy opening and absorbing the fecal matter discharged therefrom.

It will be noted that the longitudinal edges of elastic section 2 and rubber protective member 1 are free for longitudinal stretching movements and consequently the member 1 will not pucker or be subjected to undue stresses when the belt is stretched to its normal tight position about the body. This would not be possible if the top and bottom edges of these members were secured together and/or reinforced by non-elastic tape. Member 1 is of considerably greater length than the belt section 2, so that when the belt is stretched in positioning the same about the body, the slack in member 1 will be automatically taken up and the latter will be caused to snugly conform to the curvature of the abdomen without danger of uneven pressure being exerted upon, or irritation of the colostomy area. At the same time the stress on the comparatively delicate rubber member 1 is reduced to a minimum, and

danger of tearing or otherwise injuring this mem- P ber is eliminated.

Due to the fact that the side edges of the protective member are not connected to the adjacent side edges of elastic member 2, ready access may be had to the space between these members to facilitate disconnecting snap fasteners 14 and 15.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A surgical belt including a pair of non-elastic fabric back members, a pair of front members of elastic material secured at one end to said back members, means on the other ends of said front members for connecting said other ends detachably together, a rubber protective member of greater length than one member of said pair of front members connected at its ends only to the ends of said one member of said pair of front members.

2. A surgical belt including a band-like elastic member adapted to encircle a humans body to cover a colostomy, a thin rubber protective member of substantially the same width as said elastic member, but of considerably greater length than said elastic member and fixed at its ends to the ends of said elastic member, the side edges of said rubber protective member being free to stretch independently of said elastic member.

CORNELIUS M. JUDD. 

